Crowds went wild for the former USS Enterprise helmsman, who helped take a stand against the Boy Scouts’ long history of discrimination against gay scouts and LGBT leaders.

“Some of my best memories from my boyhood are of my scouting days,” Takei told GLAAD. “I played bass bugle in our troop’s drum and bugle corps. We marched in Fourth of July parades. We learned teamwork and brotherhood from camping together. The Boy Scouts built my character. As an adult, I was shocked and deeply disappointed to learn that the Scouts discriminate against LGBT people. This is contrary to the ideals of equality and fair play that I hold dear. The Boy Scouts must change.”

To date, nearly 300,000 Americans have signed Jennifer’s Change.org petition calling on the Boy Scouts of America to end its anti-gay bans. MORE